Imagine you were a space alien who just landed on earth. And imagine there was no such thing as race or ethnicity, that all humans were simply human. Which situation would be more shocking and outrageous to you?

a) A man takes part in a neighborhood watch program where he lives because he's concerned about crime and safety. Perhaps he's a little overzealous, with some calling him a wannabe policeman, but neighbors say he's an OK guy. One night, he sees a youth he doesn't recognize walking in the neighborhood and he becomes suspicious. The man starts following the youth, and calls police. A confrontation and fight ensue, and the man fatally shoots the youth, who turns out to be unarmed. The shooter claims self-defense, and the police release him without arresting him, citing a law that might allow for his actions.

b) Hundreds of mourners are at a funeral home for a young man's wake. Suddenly, without warning or provocation, unknown gunmen in a passing car indiscriminately spray bullets on a parking lot, at a crowd including women and children. Two men are killed and a dozen people are wounded, including a 5-year-old girl. Police search for clues and the killers, but no arrests are made in the first three days. Police say the violence is gang-related, perhaps related to a slight that happened at the wake.

Both cases are disturbing, but which case constitutes the greater danger to society at large? And would you be surprised to learn that one case sparks widespread revulsion and national protests, while the other is just shrugged off as part of life in the big, rough city.

I didn't directly ask whether a racial double standard was at work. That was the not-so-subtle subtext.

Much has been made about the racial element in the Sanford shooting, with Martin a young black and George Zimmerman a light-skinned Hispanic.

All the victims in the funeral home shooting were black, and a lot of people are presuming the shooters are also black. (Police haven't given any physical details of any suspects other than to say they may have driven a white car, possibly a Dodge Charger).

Once you inject the highly-charged aspect of race into the equation, all sorts of people like to jump to all sorts of conclusions. Would the Martin case have triggered such widespread anger if Martin and Zimmerman had the same skin color? And do certain activists and groups shy away from expressing outrage and crying injustice if a case involves blacks on blacks, especially in poor neighborhoods where violence is all too common?

Everyone can draw their own conclusions. Trayvon Martin has become a household name and an international cause, while the Funeraria Latina victims will be all but forgotten by the next news cycle.

Comments

One word answer to the title of this piece: YES!!! And it's what I've been complaining about from the very beginning. If there is racial profiling or stereotyping, one should look in one's own backyard first to see if there might not be a VALID reason for this. They only care about violence against blacks when the attacker is white. And the FACT that many of those attacks may be justified doesn't matter to them. They feel they should be allowed to get away with whatever they want and use threats of rioting and looting to initmidate. Racism goes BOTH ways, but if you're white, you aren't "allowed" to point out the FACTS. That isn't "PC behavior". A lot of people are TIRING of PC behavior and demand accountability on BOTH sides of the equation. By the way, has anyone placed a bounty on the heads of the two, young black males who attacked a TODDLER and stole the jewelry from his NECK? Anyone see any white people holding guns on those poor "church-goers" and forcing them to commit that crime? Doubt it! I need a new pair of Christian Louboutins---I may have to loot Bloomingdales.

How many times do we forget about all the people African Americas kill and rape. But as soon as an non African American Kills a Black man it is a hate Crime. Please. Unknown killers killed two people and shot several others. I do not see any protesting, bounties, or awards offer by the African American Politicans, Sports althetes, or Singers. Why not? Not important enough, an innocent child was Shot.

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About the author

MICHAEL MAYO has been the Sun-Sentinel's Broward news columnist since 2002. He is not a failed sports writer, as some detractors contend, just a lapsed one. He came to South Florida to cover sports in 1989. He now takes aim at everything under the sun. He was born in Brooklyn, went to college in Boston and has also lived in London and Spartanburg, S.C. His hobbies include losing weight (unsuccessfully) and losing golf balls (very successfully).